Life-saving device.



2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

G. l. HANLON... LIFE SAYING DEVICE..

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1911.,

Patented 0013. 23,1917.

G. 1. Hman, LIFE SIU/ING DEVICE,

Patend' 0st. 23, 1917.

L m 1 L 2 Y A M D E l H N 0 1|., A Arb U D.. DI A D 5 2 3 4. 4 2 3 lmls/.EN 10H G. ff Hanlon WIT/VESSES TTURIVEYS GEORGE .'r. Kennern or NEWYoan, 1v. Y., ./.issrarmn or crm-HALE To WILLIAM E.

, KURZ, or. woonnavEN, `.anw YORK.

' L'IEE-sAvrne DEVICE.

YSpecification.oIetters Patent. i vllaimgjljei Get. 23, 19112;.

Application led May 22, 1917; Serial No. 170,176.

To @ZZ/07mm 'it may concern: v Be itvknown that I, GEORGE J. IIANLON,

VLa citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of NewYork, Rosedale,

borough of Queens,in thel county'oi1 Queensr and State `ofNew York,.haveinvented a new and Improved Life-Saving Device, `of

y,which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description. f f

Mymvention relates to devices for saving` persons who have`brokenthrough ice while skating.` An object of the invention` fis toprovide a simple, inexpensive and eiiicient device wherebyTV a personwhov has broken through the ice can besaved with-4 out endangering thelife of the rescuers.

With the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will morefully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinfullyk described,illustrated Aand claimed.`

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the application, similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a plan view of the device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same, the dotted position indicating themanner in which the device is used when a person is to be rescued;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the device on line8 3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the use of the device on ice withoutthe runners.

Referring to the drawings, 7 is a running plank formed of a pair ofelongated members 8 maintained in spaced parallel relation by rungs 9provided at suitable intervals and which support boards 10 extendinglongitudinally and parallelly of the side members 8. Said boards 10 arepreferably shorter than the side members and placed toward one end ofthe running plank so as to leave a clearance at the other end.

A drop ladder 11 is provided in said clearance. It is hinged to the endsof the side members 8 by links 12 to swing under plank4 7 by loops 14.The' other end of saidbar carries a grab liookl. Theside members 8 attheV ends remote from the `drop ladder ll terminate with handles'lG.

The plank, vwith the drop ladder, is balanced on a Vstandard 17 inwhichrecesses 11S are formed for ytrunnions 19 which form an extension of oneof the rungs 9. The Y standard 17 is provided with a suitable runment ofthe contrivance on the ice.

-ner or runners 2O for facilitating the move- In a .case where a personbreaks through the ice-without disappearing, the device is` lowered intothe hole in the ice to allow the person hanging on to the ice to get afoot hold on any of the rungs of the drop ladder. The person can then beraised by see-saw ing 'the plank. It will be seen that with @this devicea person who has broken through approached without any the ice can bedanger to the rescuers, as the operation of the device for rescuing theperson takes place at a considerable distance from the point of danger.

In cases where a person disappears below the ice the device is run upclose to the point of danger and the drop ladder is released to bringthe free end thereof on to the surface of the ice. By pulling slightlyon the device and raising the operating end of the plank the free end ofthe drop ladder will swing out to form an extension of the plank. 1kWhenthe end oi the plank reaches the ice the plank is raised from thestandard. The loop 14 near the handle 16 of the running plank isdisengaged from the rod 13, whereby the rod 13 can be removed to oneside of the plank after the end vthereof near the drop ladder is pulledout from the loop 14. The plank with the ladder rests on the ice andserves as a support for the rescuer while the grab hook 15 is used inthe hole in the ice. The plank with the ladder can be brought, ifdesired, to straddle over a part of the opening without endangering theperson resting thereupon, due to the large surface bridged by the plank.

I claim:

1. A life-saving device comprising-2 running plank, a carrier detachablysupthe plank so that the same may be seesawed.

on the standard, means associated with the standard :tor facilitatingVthe transportation of the plank, a drop ladder' at one end oi theplank, and sliding means operable' from the other end of the plank forretaining the drop 'ladder at the plank and whereby saidY drop laddermay be released to hang from said `plank,substantially as and for thepur-z pose Set forth.

el. A. life-saving device comprieing,`a.y

runneigna standard thereon,V an elongated member mounted to Seesaiv onthe standard,- a ladder pivotally secured to one end of the elongatedmember, and a rod operable from the other end of the elongated memberfor engaging said ladder When the same is at the plank, whereby saidladder isprevented from snf'inging Vunder the action of gravitythereupon'. f

5. A Vlite-saving device comprisingf-a runner, a standard thereon, arunning plank seesaived on the standard, a ladder pivotally connectedvto' the Vplank to-sWing therefromw under the action of gravity upon theladder, and a rod mounted to slide in the plank and operable 'from theend remote from the ladder engaging said ladder and preventing thedisplacement of same under the action of t gravity.l

6. A life-saving device comprising,-a runner, al standard thereon, `arunning plank seesawed on the standard and removable therefrom, a ladderpivotally'connected to the plank to svvingvtheretrom, a rod, and

means at the ends of Vthe rod: connecting it.

to the plank eofthatthe 'same is tree to s\ving,;said rod adapted toengage'th-e ladder with one end when the same is at the plank, the otherend of the rod Abeing in proximity to the vend or the plank remote Vfromthe ladder, themeans connecting the end of Vtherrod'to the Vplank nearthe end remote from the ladder being detachable from the plank so as toyalloaT the removal of the rod from the attached means to one side oicthe plank after the other end of the rod has been moved out fromengagement with the means connecting it to the plank in proximtyron theladder.

GEORGE J. HANLN.'

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents eaeh, by adressn theCommissioner ofwatenta. Washington, D. G.

